Pbocess ahd apparatus pos delihtihg cottonseed hulls



Aug. 16, 1927. 1,639,568

T. J. KIDD- PROCESS AND APPARATUS FQR DELINTING COTTON SEED HULLS Filed June 2, 1924 Patented Aug. 16, 192.7.

STATES FFICE.

THOMAS J'. KIDD, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

Application filed June 2,

rlhis .invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in method of, and mechanism for7 the manufacture or production of fiber from cotton seed hulls.

rlhe main object of my invention is to eil'ect mechanically a separation of the hull skins from the fiber in such manner that the hull skins can be discharged at a different point from the liber, thus producing a fiber of higher grade and greater value than where it is produced in combination with the skins and enablingl me at the same time by virtue of my manner of separation to obtain from the machine a very large output.

My invention contemplates the utilization of a plurality of rapidly moving cutters tov effect a separation ofthe liber from the skins7 as contrasted with grinding or beating operations by which the hulls are disintegrated.

Further, my invention contemplates tle utilization and control of air currents working against centrifugal force where the skins are ejected and working with centrifugal torce where the liber is discharged, these currents being controllable and so yrelated to the size of the skin particles and the action of centrifugal force thereon that only the skin particles will reach their point of discharge and that practically all of the skin particles will be there discharged, leaving pres nt in the liber as foreign matter only a relatively small percentage of skin dus which can be readily removed by cyclones or equivalent mechanism.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a hull treating machine com- ]zn-ising an inlet for the hnlls, a treating chamber in which the knives or thin edged bla-des assembled on the rotor, work and which has on one side a screen or skin outn let with relatively'large openings through which the hull bran or skins are discharged preferably against inflowing air and on the other side a screen or fiber outlet with relatively sinall openings through which the Viber is discharged with the outiiowing air to a suitable duct.

li/ly invention also contemplates improve ments in the design of the rotor in that it is provided throughout its length vavithin the machine with very closely associated disks connected axially by cutter blade shafts upon which are mounted for the length of the machine closely associated thin cutter blades which present sharp angles of impact to act on the hulls and strip the yber from 1924.. Serial No. 717,224.

t-he heavier skin parts in the induced hull whirl.

My invention also contemplates improveH ments in the construction of these cutter blades whereby they are reversible to obtain maximum service therefrom.

My invention also contemplates the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings7 and which are described more fully in the specification following and in the claims appended thereto.

According to the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional View through a typical embodiment of my invention. l

Fi 2 is a detail View enlarged of a section of the rotor showing the preferred manner of assembling the knife blades thereon.

Fig. 3 is a plan view on a reduced scale of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

ln the embodiment of my invention illus-v trated, cotton seed hulls, preferably by a regulated and graduated feed, are delivered by means of an inclined chute 1 to the top feed opening 2 of the machin-e. This opening is restricted by an inclined perforated screen 3 which at its lower end merges into a perforated concave 4. terminating at the upper end of a filler block 5 suitably attached to the lower front wall 6 of the machine. An inclined chute i leads from the base of the concave l through a skin outlet 8 disposed below the upper removable front section 9 of the machine. lt will be observed that the feed opening 2 as thus restricted is set so as to deliver the hulls to one side of the rotor in the machine. rllhe metal base of the machine comprises a front wall 10, a hopper bottom 11 and a back wall 12, and the front wall has an inwardly overhung flange 13 which is protected by an angle iron 11i and from which depends the forward edge of a perforated bottom half circular concave 15, the rear side of which is supported from a flange 16 overhung from the back wall of the base. The concave is struck on a center from the rotor shaft 17 and is closely spaced from the outer ends of the cutting blades 18 which are mounted peripherally about the rotor in the manner which will be later described. Above the flange 16 are mounted metal baffle plates 19 ot the machine and terminate at the backv A' solid Wall of the feed* openingr 2; metal cover 21. 1s. mounted over the baille, plates. The hopperI ll is connected by a pipe 22 with the intake-oit ai suctiontan 23- living-- a discharge pipe 24 leadingto a cyclone orA .equivalent machinery,v which, forming; no part ot my present inventiom is not disclosed. Y

rllhe perliorations in the liber screen concave liare ot materially smaller diameter than those in the skin screen Il, having approximately. from l/Gth to l/Srd ot the diameters ot theholes in the-screen l. Vhile the sizes oit these per-orations may be varied according to operating conditions and the results desired,` l have obtained .satisfactory results by the use of pertorations having a diameter of from /ltiths toa quarter of an inch in. the skin screen il and which are-very closely associated9v and with. openings ot' from l/lGth to 1/82nd otaninch also closely associated in the liber screen l5. The suction fan is calculatedtov induce a draft ot airl through the teedopeningi andthrough the screens 3 and l and through. the skin outlet t?. rllhe velocity of the air currents entering the Working chamber through the concave, f lis determined empirically, the cure rents beingl ot correct velocity` when) having tor th- R. l). M. of the rot-or. andrne centriiugal action of the rotor. on the sl is, they will permit only the skins to e..cape through the concave -fl fliile forcing` the lib `r to follow around with orwvork.through between the cntter blades to the concave l5. Qbviously as this condition o" nasimum et- .ticiency is appr ached greatly-l increased'bene. will be olitained 'from the machine and or approaching? the conditions above deseribec tor maxiniun'i elliciency.

The rotor is shown7 iu its preferred enihodiment, made up as `follows. l keyy on the shaft. l? vwithin the machine a e ries ot spaced disks 5. Which disks are connected t their peripheries with a series ot. ani.- disposed cutter blade shait'ts :55 vwhich L ei...erably entendthe tull length o'l the maf f' i wn Llano@ c1 q'rlln rll lx i lx c Anie. n. t .me iene and cem een t le eel stock such. as that re made` being preterably l thin et very which gin saws a about StS/lOOOths o in length being)` adapted to travel When in radici positioirwith their outer ends in close :liber co'NA but not in to th .intention conten'iplates its operation at:

r blades are ine'terab'ly-formed of tromA an inch in thickness and i ct tl'ierevvith. lhese blades .are shea/red.

toprovide sharp corners or angles of impact and they will Work with decreasing eliiciency as the sharp forward corner angle and Working edges Wear away. It is desirable that. the'disks shall beY as thin as is compatible with the: duty. required. of. them7 those in use being formed from plate not exceeding a quarter-ot an inch in thickness and these are spaced so that in the aggregate they have the requisite strength to support the shatt- 26. @n each shaft 26. between adjacent disks, I: mount the cutter blades in close association, which however Will leave a slight spacingfbeciveen them.

It is my presl this machine` that these closely associated cutter blades must strike the. entering cotton seed h ullsand .convert them by their combined impactA into relatively large particles ot skins and into ber, and that' this action vfill occur as the cotton seedhulls enter the Werl; 'natchamber and Will'be accomplished durk' the one or. more impacts that may occiir ijween ahull and successive; series ot cutter blades as the hull. moves around towards the concave fl and aroundy the treatment chamber. l* the machine as Ihave heretotore, manuiactured it the` distance from center. ot, the rotor to the tip of the cutter blade has been approximately l2 inches and the rotor has beendriven. at around 2000 R. 21M. In operation9 a thin belt or; Whirl-ot comminuted;hulls having more or less liber adhering' to them exists about the rotor disks Which l; am of opinion, is one, constantly. changing andlargely replacedjt'rom the inaterial which collects inthe chan'iber under the baffle plate-s where the largerv particles will collect and: be treated-v in the Working portion ot the chamber by the action ot the rotor until the hullskins are strippedzotsthe fiber adl'iering thereto. 1' consider it advantageous to etliect a. separation ot the liber, tromthe hullbran as the. .fiber is treed tri'iin the skinparticles and to this end my invention utilizes al forcible air currentA tlou'in` through the Whirlingvmass otmaterial under treatment to entrain and carry out with it the tibers as they'become detached, the hull skins or branv particles as they become stripped ot fiber. being ejected by cent-rit.- ngal torce. lt is essential that the hulls sl all be in :i.graduated.manner and-that the. maehinelshall not be choked as under. such conditions it Willnot` pertornrthe conf templated functions. By having such a regulated-g leed there is preservedv ample space be-tivecinthe cutter blades andthe skin concave i to-give the separated-liber and skins opportunity tohavev an appreciable flight` ent theory ofthe action of rectly through the openings in the concave l or, as they pass downwardly over the concave to escape through a staggered opening therein. From this it necessarily follows that the openings in all ol the screens or outlets should be staggered. rihe knife blades are provided with squared ends and with aligning holes 27 at their ends which permit the blades when they become worn to be both turned and reversed.

In the operation of my invention, assuming a graduated leed oit hulls flowing down the chute l and the rotor driven at proper speed with the fan inducing` by its suction air currents which enter the working chamber through the leed opening Q and screen 4l, as the entering and rotating` hulls are struck or engaged by the tast spinning cutter blades they are both cut and centrilugally ejected towards the screen concave 4l and the particles ol skin or woody parte of the hulls, from which the cutter blades have stripped the liber, will have sullicient momentum and weight to overcome any opposing air currents and escape through the screen Il and pass olif through the discharge opening 8 and the discharge chute 7 to be collected for use as delibrated hulls or hull bran 'for mixed cattle feeds. The particles ol" lint or liber which adhere to the skin particles and follow the travel oil the cutter blades towards and pass over the concave l5 will, as stripped from the skin by the cutting action ot the laster traveling blades, be drawn through the openings in this concave by the action o'j the air currents and delivered by the suction lian and connection shown to dust separating means and thence discharged as commercial liber. The blades are arranged so as to permit the 'tree transverse or diametric liow el" the air current across the chamber so that the liber as released at any point in its whirl about the axis oli the chan'iber will becomeentraincd .in said current and pass more or less directly through the liber outlet. rilhis liber being substantially tree of hull skins and dust is ot the highest market grade and available lor use in the manutacture ot aii'tilicial silk, high grade paper stock, cellulose7 and the like. The absence ot any appreciable quantity of the skins in the .liber greatly reduce the cost oli purifying and bleaching it, thus further increasing` its commercial value. Y

In my earlier experiments where the machine was operated on the beater principle, with a pulverizing or grinding eliect on the hulls trom beaters et the hammer type, and with a common bottom outlet for the total pulverized or reduced precinct, a low grade liber was produced from which it was practically impossible to ellectively separate the woody matter forming the skins and the maximum capacity of the machine was less than one-third of the capacity of the `machine as converted to the present type ot cutting machine, and the earlier type of machine ground the woody matter almost to dust and this so thoroughly impregnated the liber that it was practically impossible to thoroughly clean the liber oit the woody matter. This resulted in a grade of liber which is expensive to purity and bleach and due to the tact that it would have to remain in the machine until the whole product was dissolved there was produced a length ot' liber so short as to be oit' relatively small value. I consider it a most important feature of my method ot treatment that the skins are disintegrated as little as possible in order to separate them from the liber. The larger the skin. particles the easier they are to separate from the liber and the better the quality ot the ber product and for this reason I have designed my machine to operate on the principle of cut-ting or thrashing the hulls instead of grinding or pulver-icing them. Moreover', the cutter edge which does the cutting or stripping of the liber from the skinsvmay be a transverse edge or one or more longitudinal edges or corners ot the blade, or all ot such edges, and when such cutting edges are relied on, thicker blades may be employed to deliver to the hull particles the blows which will separate the liber 'from the skins, and by being drawn at greater velocity through the belt or whirl ot partially delibrated hulls, to strip the fiber from the skins by a cutting action.

By centrifugal separation of the skins Jfrom the :liber I mean to include any utilization oi" the action of the blades as they strip or cut the liber from the skins, on the skin particles to throw the latter through the screen 4? whether such flight of the skin particles be the result ot impact from the blades or the result of contact ol the hulls with the tast spinning blades which would act to both strip the liber from the skin and ej ect the heavier skin particles.

Where the term screen is used I mean thereby to include any part ol the apparatus which is provided with openings suitable on the one hand lor the escape of the hull skins and on the other for the escape of the air current with the freed ber and such small particles ol hull skins and dust as become entrained ther-ein. .By a diametric liow of the air current through the hull whirl I mean any transverse flow which will follow a general radial direction through the chamber.

Though I have described with great particularity the details oit the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the inven- OIl @S del/ille@ ill the appended claims,

lill) llO Having thus described my invention, what I- claim as new anddesire to secure-by Letters Patent, is

l; In a debrating machine for cotton seed hulls andl the like, a delibrating chamber having a hull inlet, a rotor. having a multi.- plicity ot tast spinning cutter blades adapted to separate liber` from the hull skins and drive the hulls ina peripheral Whirl about said chamber, means-to induce a strong air current to traverse the chamberandthe whirling mass ot hulls, and means to permit the escape ofthe delibrated hull skins, there being a multiplicity ol small outlets for the air with the entrained liber over which the bladesV are adapted-to drive the larger hulls and skin particles.

Q. A detlbrating mechanism` according to claim l, in Which the rotor on which the cutter blades are mounted is a rotating spider adaptedt'o permit the tree transverse 'lioiv of the air current across the deiibrated chamber.

3. A delibrating mechanism according to claim l, in which the cutter blades are liat with squared corners and pivotally mounted upon the rotor to present their edges to the Work.

a. Av delibrating mechanism according to claim l, in Which the cutter blades are termed ot'sh'ort thin flat metal strips each blade being reversible about its longitudinal and transverse axis to provide tour duplicate Working portions, and means to mount said blades 'tree tor reversal on the rotor.

5. A delibrating machine for cottonseed hulls and the like, comprising a substantially annular chamber provided With a hull inlet and spaced; peripheral apertures for the transverse flow of a strong air current therethrough, the apertures on one side being larger it'or the escapel o1 Idetibrated hull skins counter to intlowing air: and responsive to centrifugal,force,.and on the other side smaller for the escape ot the treed liber, means to induce said air current, and a rotor carryingy closely associated cut-ter blades disposed With their outer ends travelingin close proximity to the chamber Wall opposite the libervoutlet apertures, the chamber being enlarged .on its hull inlet side, and the cutter blades having Working edges Which-engage the hulls in the Whirlto both induce their rotation and to strip the liber therefrom.

6. A mechanism. tor detibrating cotton seed hulls andthe like, comprising aivorking chamber containing tast spinning cutters adapted to separate the liber from the hull skins, in combination with a.V screen, in the path ot'lthe separated hullsk-ins as centrifugally ejected, through which the skins escape trom the Working chamber, a-separate screen for the escape'ot the liber, and

means to induce a draft to lioiv outwardly through said latter screen.

7. A mechanism for delibrating cotton seed hulls, comprising a Working chamber having a leed opening and containinp` tast spinning cutters, a foraminous screen tor the escape of skins in one portion ot'- said Working chamber, a toraminous screen lor the escape ot liber in another portion of said Working chamber, means to induce currents ot air inwardly through theleed opening and outwardly through the liber screen, and means to leed the hulls to the cutters.

8. A mechanism for the separation ot liber from cotton seed hulls according to claim (i, in which the tast spinning cutters are in the torm of thin closely associated edged blades mounted on a rotor.

9. A machine-tor the separation of liber troni cotton seed hulls, comprising a separating chamber having a hull inlet, a rotor mounted in the chamber and comprisingl axial series ot' closely associated blades disposed about its periphery, tivo screens disposed in the plane of rotation ofthe blades, one having" apertures large enough for the escape ot skin particles, and another having relatively small openings tor the passage ot' liber, and means to induce air currents to tlow through the Working chamber and screens, substantially as described.

l0. A machine for the separation of liber from cotton seedhulls according to claim 7, in which trie screen tor the skins is substantially spaced 'from the rotor at its upperedge and gradually approaches the path ot the moving blades towards itloiver edge.

ll. A machine for the separation ot liber from cotton seed hulls according to claim 7, in which the liber screen is concave and set close to and substantially concentric with the path ot the rotating blades While the skin screen is concave and disposed eccentric to the path `of the blades and substantially spaced therefrom l2. A machine for the separation oit liber from cotton seed hulls, comprising a Working chamber having a. top hull feed inlet, a rotor Working in said chamber and having axial series ot closely associa-ted very thin blades pivotally inounted'about its periphery` a screen mounted. on the side ot thc chamber beyond the hull inlet in the direction in which the knives rotate and comprising a. concave eccentric to the path ot the knivesand approaching the latter towards the lower edge and having relatively large pertorations-lor the 'tree inlioiv ot air and the tree escape of relatively larger skin particles, ascreen concave forming the lower portion otsaid working chamber and disposed substantially concentric With the path tit-the blades and provided With relatively small openings suitable for the escape of les fiber, and means to induce forcible air currents which enter the working chamber through the skin screen and escape therefrom through the liber screen.

13. The herein described process for the separation of liber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in severing the liber from the skins by the action of edged blades applied to the hulls while traveling through an annular detibrating chamber and in the presence of a strong air current iiowing counter to the escape of cleaned hull skins.

14. The herein described process for the separation of liber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in stripping the fiber from the skins by the action ot' cutting edges applied to the hulls while traveling in a whirl across an air current, causing the hull skins to escape against the air flow to a discharge separate from that of the ber, and entraining the fiber in and causing it to escape with said current as it is freed from the hull skins.

15. The herein described process for the separation of fiber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in causing the hulls while under treatment to travel in a thin whirling mass across a positively induced air current, removing the hull skins from the whirl by centrifugal torce exerted counter to the air current, freeing the fiber by the action of edged blades driven through the mass of hulls entraining the fiber in the air current and removing it through a screen, and feeding hulls to maintain the ,desired limited quantity in the whirl.

16. The herein described process 'for the deiibration of cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in causing the hulls while under treatment to move in a thin whirling mass exposed to an air current, stripping the iiber from the skins by the action of thin blades driven edgewise through the whirling mass centrifugally ejecting from the whirl and removing from the chamber the cleaned hull skins, entraining the freed liber in said current causing the air current to escape with the fiber, restraining the hulls from following the outgoing fiber, and replenishing the mass of hulls in the whirl.

17. The herein described process for the production of iiber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in producing a whirl of the mass of hulls under treatment and causing same to travel across the path of a strongl air current, stripping fiber from the hull skins by blades having movement relative to the hulls, causing the larger skin particles to escape against the air current as they become cleaned of .fiber to the desired extent, entraining the fiber, as stripped, in the air current to remove it from the Whirling mass, and screening the outgoing air to prevent the escape of hulls and skins therewith.

18. The herein described process for the production of fiber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in producing a whirl of the mass oit hulls under treatment across the path of an induced air current free to flow substantially diametrically through the whirl, stripping fiber trom the hull skins by thin sharp cornered blades having movement relative to the hulls, causing the larger skin particles to escape by centrifugal force exerted against the air current as they become cleaned of liber to the desired extent, and entraining the fiber, as stripped, in the air current and removing it 'from the whirling mass.

19. The herein described. process for the production oi" fiber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in producing a whirl of the mass of hulls under .treatment across the path oi an induced air current liowing across the whirl, stripping iiber 'from the hull skins by cutters having movement relative tothe hulls, causing the larger skin particles to escape against Jdie air current as they become cleaned of fiber to the desired extent, entraining the ber, as stripped, in the air current and removing it from the whirling mass, and causing the whirling hulls under treatment to expand and contract radially in each cycle.`

20. The herein described process 'for the production of iiber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in producing a whirl of the mass of hulls under treatment across the path of a strong transverse air current, stripping fiber from the hull skins by cutters having movement relative to the hulls, causing the larger skin particles to escape against the air current as they become cleaned of fiber to the desired extent, entraining the fiber, as stripped, in the air current and removing it from the whirling mass, and causing the whirling hulls under treatment to expand and contract radially in each cycle, the expansion being provided in the path of the entering air and the contraction in the path of the outgoing ,Fiber laden air.

21. The herein described process for the production of liber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in producing a whirl of the mass of hulls under treatment across the path of an induced air current, stripping fiber from the hull skins by edge blades having movement to the hulls, causing the larger .skin particles to escape against the air current as they become cleaned of liber to the desired extent, entraining the fiber, as stripped, inthe air current and removing it directly from the whirling mass,

causing the whirling hulls under treatmentto expand and contract radially in each cycle, the expansion being provided in a po- Sit-ion to facilitate the ycentrifugal ejection of stripped skins from the mass againstthe inflowing air, and the contraction beingprovided to increase the relative movement between hulls and cutters vin the path ot the outgoing air.

22. The herein described process tort-he production of liber from cotton ,seed hulls andthe like, which consists in causing the mass ot hulls while under treatment to travel rapidly in a whirl across a strong-induced air current, driving blades edgewise through the whirling mass to strip the liber from the hull skins, entraining the liber in said current, screening the outgoing air to prevent the escape therewith ot hulls and large skin particles, and ejecting the stripped skins from the whirl by centrifugal torce exerted counter to the air current.

23. The herein described process for `the production of liber from cotton seed hulls and the like, which consists in causing the mass ot hulls while under treatment to travel rapidly in a whirl across a strong induced air current, driving cutters through the whirling mass to strip the liber from the hull skins, entrainin g the liber in said current and removing it from the whirl as it is treed lrom the skins, ejecting the stripped skins from the whirl by centrifugal force exerted counter to lthe .air current, and causing the mass in the whirl to loosen up -when approaching the skin discharge.

24. The herein described process for the production of liber from cotton seed hulls and ,the like, which consists in causing the hulls while under treatment to travel rapidly in athin whirling mass across a strong air current, driving thin square cornered blades through the whirling mass to strip the liber ,from the hull skins, entraining the liber in said current and screening the outgoing air to cause it to remove from the whirl only the liber as freed from the skins and small skin particles, ejecting the stripped skins from the whirl by centrifugal force exerted counter to the air current, causing the mass in the whirl to loosen up when approaching'the skin discharge, and gradually feeding hulls to the whirl where the mass is loosened up.

25. A method of delibrating` cotton seed hulls and other fibrous material, which consists in feeding such material into a treatment chamber, removing the liber from the heavier hull particles by the stripping action of vrapidly rotating cutter blades moving through a whirling mass of said material, removing the cleaned hull particles by centrifugal action, and removing the liber with outflowing air.

26. A method ol' delibrating cotton seed hulls and other librous material, which consists in feeding such material into a treatment chamber, removing the liber from the tesa-5.68

heavierhull particles by the action of rapidly rotating cutter blades moving through a whirling mass ot said material, removing the hull particles centritugally, and removing the liber fith outllowing air.

27. A method ol delibratine cotton seed hulls and other fibrous material, which consists in feeding such material into a treatment chamber, removing` the liber from the heavier hull particles by the stripping action ot edged blades, removing the hull particles against intlowing air, and removing the liber with outtlowing air through a screened outlet.

28. A method oit delibrating cotton seed hulls and other librous material., which consists in feeding such material into a treatmentV chamber, removing the liber from the heavier hull particles by the stripping action ot edged blades, removing the hull particles centrit'ugally against ini'iowing air, and-removing the fiber with outl'lowing air through a screened outlet.

29. A method ot delibrat-ing cotton seed Yhulls and other librous material, which consists in `feeding such material into a treatment chamber, causing it. to whirl about said chamber, removing theliber from the heavier hull particles by the stripping action of edged blades, removing the hull particles against inliowing air, and removingthe liber with outllowing air, causing the mass in the whirl to have radial expansion and contraction in each cycle.

30. A machine of the character described, comprising in its organization, a treatment chamber having separate outlets, one 'tor line light material and the other for coarser heavier material, a leed inlet tor the material to be treated, a multiplicity olf edged cutters arranged in said chamber, means to drive the material into a whirl about said chamber and subject it to the action of said cutters to ellect its separation into its coarse and Fine component parts, and means to cause a draft to llow outwardly from the chamber through the fine material outlet bearing with it the said ne component parts.

3l. A machine ot the character described in claim 30, in which the cutters are 'thin straight-edged blades mounted on a rotor in the treatment chamber.

32, A machine of the character described in claim 30, in which the cutters are formed ot thin llat metal with corner edges that present sharp angles ot impact to the material under treatment.

33. A machine of the character described in claim 30, in which the outlets are protected by screens disposed in the path ot the whirling material.

84. A machine of the character described in claim 30, in which the cutters present, in each of a plurality ot closely associated parallel Blanes disposed at right angles to the axis of the whirl7 a. plurality of corner edges t0 act on the material in the whirl.

35. A delihrating machine for Cotton seed hulls, according` to Claim 30, in which the chamber comprises a casingsurrounding the cutters, said Casing having a` screen, concentric with said whirl, spaced away from that portion of the easing containing the fine material outlet, whereby achamber is formed between said screen and last mentioned portion of the easing, and the means for causing the outflowing draft acts to exhaust air from said easing through said fine material outlet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THOMAS J. KIDD. 

